The offerings of Til (ginger), Mongphali (peanuts) and Chirwa (beaten rice) were made to the burning embers. Mahajan distributed the peanuts and other eatables among the Niketan inmates.

It was a real moment of joy and gaiety for the children living there. The warden of the Niketan said that it was first such experience for the orphan children to enjoy the festivity of Lohri and Makar Sankranti.

Mahajan, in his brief speech at the end of the function said: “Lohri and Makar Sankranti signify a new beginning where we reap the crop of our toil and start planning for a new prosperous future, we in the state of Jammu and Kashmir need to re-devise our policies for a violence free and peaceful life dedicated to the development of the State and the country as a whole.”

He appealed to the politicians of the State to shun the myopic attitudes and give the State a vision where our youth become the pride of the nation.